Why we need to learn about ticks
Ticks are medically important arthropods, since they have the ability to transmit Lyme disease, tularemia, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, and ehrlichiosis in Texas. In 1984, Lyme disease was found to be present in Texas and it is now found in 1-2% of ticks in Texas. Lyme disease is the most frequently diagnosed tick-borne disease in the United States, where 133 cases were reported in Texas in 2002 and 85 cases were reported in 2003. Tularemia is a bacterial disease affecting both animals and humans, with 3 cases reported in Texas in 2002 and 2 cases reported in 2003. Rocky Mountain spotted fever is the most frequently reported rickettsial illness in the United States, with 13 reported cases in Texas in 2002 and 14 reported cases in 2003. In Texas, ehrlichiosis is a rare disease with fewer than 10 cases reported each year, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services. However many people with ehrlichiosis show no symptoms and do not seek medical care or in other cases may have been misdiagnosed, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In this booklet are a variety of exercises designed to help educate your students about ticks and explain why they are so dangerous.